Culinary Artistas Kids Camps

Culinary Artistas Kids Camps focus on hands-on cooking, where campers cook brunch and lunch, use interactive cooking stations, and take part in STEAM activities. Camp days also include outdoor play with lawn games, sand toys, and active play and exploration. The program also offers kids camps, birthday parties and celebrations, school programs, corporate team-building and networking experiences, Plate Date family events, virtual cooking experiences, San Francisco cooking experiences, and venue rentals.

• Ages: 4–16 years old
• Schedule: Weeklong and single-day cooking camps, Monday–Friday, 9am–3pm

Culinary Artistas Kids Camps offer weeklong and single-day cooking camps during school holidays and summer break in San Francisco and the East Bay for kids ages 4–10, along with a Counselor in Training culinary leadership program for kids aged 12–16. Themes include “Palette to Plate: Baking Colorful California Cuisine,” “Beyond Borders: Baking World Cuisine,” and “Baking Bliss: From Whisk to Wonder.” Camps use local, seasonal produce and colorful, nutrient-rich ingredients inspired by a color of the day, and themed camp weeks end with a costume party on Friday. Outdoor adventures may include time at a grass lawn across from the SF studio, Aquatic Park Green, Aquatic Park Beach (with no swimming allowed), and Francisco Park Playground, using a buddy system and clear boundaries for play. The program typically hosts up to 26 kids in a single day camp in the Ghirardelli Square studio, with a typical staff-to-kids ratio of 1:6 that may increase to 1:8 when certain staff members are on break. They also offer Plate Date family events at the studio, a Club Artistas monthly subscription box for kids and families to cook at home together, virtual events worldwide, and in-person programs in San Francisco, and the studio is available to rent as an event venue with a view in Ghirardelli Square.

Culinary Artistas started in 2016, led by founder Vanessa Silva, and states that it has 10 years of experience hosting over 5,000 campers and bringing high-quality cooking experiences since 2016. The program states that, through hands-on, sensory adventures, it teaches an intuitive approach to cooking that encourages young chefs to trust their instincts while exploring global flavors and techniques. It states that cooking is about connection and that food brings people together in a creative language, and it lists values of being heart-centered, creating exceptional experiences, focusing on impact and empowerment, and nourishing health with wholesome food. Culinary Artistas states that it is a nationally certified Woman Business Enterprise and Minority Business Enterprise.

The organization offers school programs in collaboration with schools and nonprofits in the Bay Area and states that it deeply values community connections, sustainable living, and making educational opportunities possible for children of all socioeconomic backgrounds. It also states that it prioritizes sustainability, people and their community, and a vibrant living experience. Testimonials describe the venue and events as feeling like inviting guests into a home, with family-style eating, bonding between co-workers, seamless planning and execution, interactive and patient chefs with kids, and a fabulous venue that worked well for a group of around 30 people.

Last updated June 17, 2026.